Combined guard and nail setting attachment for a claw hammer



March 17, 1964 J- M. WILSON 3,125,143

CQMBINED GUARD AND NAIL SETTING ATTACHMENT FOR A CLAW HAMMER Filed Oct. 16, 1962 INVENTOR J'ouu M- WILsoN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,125,143 COMBINED GUARD AND NAIL SETTING ATTACHMENT FOR A CLAW HAMMER John M. Wilson, 843 McNeilly Road, Pittsburgh 26, Pa. Filed Oct. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 230,900 6 Claims. (Cl. 14530) This invention relates to a protective attachment for hammers, and more particularly to a guard device adapted to be mounted on the head of a claw hammer so as to encase the striking portion thereof, whereby when a defaceable material is tapped into place, such as wood, Wood flooring, glass block, tile, etc., the surface will not be marred or chipped by contact with the striking member.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved guard attachment of the type formed from resilient deformable material, such as rubber, or the like, the attachment being arranged so that it may be easily installed on the head of a hammer and so that it will be retained thereon until its removal is desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved work-protecting guard device for use on the head of a claw hammer, the device being inexpensive to fabricate, being provided with means for enabling the hammer to be used for setting nails, so that the nails can be started in material such as wood or the like by manipulating and tapping with the hammer head, the device being readily a claw hammer, said head portion being provided with an improved guard device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, but to a reduced scale.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2, showing a nail engaged with the guard device so that the nail may be held for starting same in wood or similar material.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the guard device employed in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a further modification of a claw hammer protective device according to the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a guard device for a claw hammer head, the guard device comprising a unitary body or resilient deformable and stretchable material, such as rubber, or the like, said body being formed by molding, or the like, to receive and conform with the contour of the striking portion of a conventional claw hammer head 12 and to cover the main part of the area of the hammer head, leaving exposed merely the claws 13, 13. Thus, the guard device 11 comprises an outer longitudinal wall 14, a pair of side walls 15, 15, an inner longitudinal wall 16 and a circular end wall 17, whereby the body is closed at one end, namely, at the circular end wall 17. The inner longitudinal wall 16 is arcuately curved substantially through an angle of 90, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2, to conform with and fit against the corner defined between the shank portion 18 of the claw hammer head and the striking end 19 thereof.

3,125,143 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 The outer longitudinal wall 14 is of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of the hammer head 12 except for the claws 13, 13 as above mentioned. The side walls 15, 15 are therefore provided with the substantially diagonally extending end edges 20, 20 extending from the end edge 21 of the outer longitudinal wall 14 to the end edge 22 of the inner longitudinal wall 16.

As is clearly shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, the body of the guard device includes a substantially cylindrical portion 25 merging with the end wall 17 and being adapted to receive the poll of the hammer head. When the guard device is slipped on the head of a hammer, an air pocket is formed in the neck of the guard device. To vent this air pocket a hole 30 is provided in the neck, namely, at the intermediate portion of the inner wall 16.

One of the side walls 15 is formed with a keyholeshaped slot 26 whose substantially circular portion is adapted to receive the head of a nail 27, so that the nail may be lockingly engaged with the narrow portion of the slot in the manner illustrated in dotted view in FIGURE 1 and shown in full line view in FIGURE 3, the shank of the nail being moved into the narrow slot portion 28. This enables the nail to be held secured to the hammer head so that the nail may be readily started in wood or similar other material by utilizing the hammer head as a starting handle or holding attachment therefor. As soon as the nail has been started in the material, the device may be disengaged therefrom by shifting same so that the head may pass through the enlarged circular portion of the keyhole-shaped slot 26.

Since the body of the guard device is made of rubber or similar resiliently deformable material, the device may be easily slipped onto the head of a claw hammer 12, in the manner shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The guard device is retained by friction on the hammer head and enables the hammer to be used in its intended manner, all of the striking surfaces of the hammer being covered by the resilient deformable material of the guard device, with the claws 13, 13 being substantially the only parts exposed. When the claw hammer is employed to extract nails, or similar objects from material, the objects to be extracted are engaged between the claws 13, 13 and the hammer head is employed in the usual manner, being fulcrumed on the outer longitudinal wall 14. Since the outer longitudinal wall 14 is of rubber, or similar resilient deformable material, employed for the guard device, the underlying surface will not be marred or damaged when the nail or similar object is extracted from the material.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, the guard device is designated generally at 11'. The guard device 11' comprises a unitary body of resilient deformable material, such as rubber or the like, formed to receive and conform with the striking portion of a conventional claw hammer head, as in the previously described form of the invention. The side wall 15' is provided with a keyhole-shaped slot 26. The circular end wall 17 is likewise provided with a similar keyhole-shaped slot, shown at 26'.

The inside of the striking head-receiving portion of the device 11' is provided with the integral uniformly spaced, parallel longitudinally extending ribs 40, extending for the major portion of the internal length of said head-receiving portion and projecting inwardly to provide clearance for the escape of air when the device is mounted on a claw hammer head.

The rim of the device 11 is formed with an inwardly projecting continuous reinforcing bead 41 to strengthen said rim and to enable the device to hold its shape.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved protective guard device for a claw hammer head have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as, defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A guard for a claw hammer head comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to closely receive and to conformably fit over the striking 1 portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side Walls, an inner longitudinal wall, and an end wall, whereby the body is closed at one end, the inner longitudinal Wall being arcuately curved to fit between the shank portion and striking head portion of a hammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the claws thereof, and both of said side walls having substantially diagonally extending continuousend edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge of the inner longitudinal wall, said side walls being adapted to cover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head.

2. A guard for a claw hammer head comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to closely receive and to conformably fit over the striking portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side walls, an inner longitudinal wall, and a substantially circular end wall, whereby the body is closed at one end, the inner longitudinal wall being arcuately curved substantially through an angle of 90 to fit between the shank portion and striking head portion of a hammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the claws thereof, and both of said side walls having substantially diagonally extending continuous end edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge of the inner longitudinal wall, said side walls being adapted to cover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head.

3. A guard for a claw hammer head comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to closely receive and conformably fit over the striking portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side walls, an inner longitudinal, and a substantially circular end wall, whereby the body is closed at one end, the inner longitudinal wall being arcuately curved substantially'through an angle of 90 to fit between the shank portion and the striking head portion of a hammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the claws thereof, and both of said sidewalls having substantially diagonally extending continuous end edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge of the inner longitudinal 'wall, said side walls being adapted to cover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head, said body including a substantially cylindrical portion merging with said end wall and with said side walls, outer longitudinal wall, and inner longitudinal wall and being adapted to closely receive the poll of the hammer head.

4. A guard for a claw hammer head comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to 6 closely receive and COnformably fit over the striking portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side walls, an inner longitudinal wall, and an end wall, whereby the body is closed at one end, theinner longitudinal wall being arcuately curved to fit between the shank portion and striking head portion of aghammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the clawsthereof, at least one of said side walls being formed with a keyhole-shaped, nail-holding slot, both of said side walls having continuous substantially diagonally extending end edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge of the inner longitudinal wall, said side walls being adapted to cover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head.

5. A guard for a claw hammer head comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to closely receive and conformably fit over the striking portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side walls, an inner longitudinal wall, and a substantially circular end wall, whereby the body is closed at one end, the inner longitudinal wall being arcuately curved substantially through an angle of to fit between the shank portion and striking head portion of a hammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufiicient length to completely coverthe outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the claws thereof, said body including a substantially cylindrical portion merging with said end wall and with said side walls, outer longitudinal wall and inner longitudinal wall and being adapted to closely receive the poll of a hammer head, both of said side walls having substantially diagonally extending continuous end edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge ofthe inner longitudinal wall, said side walls being adapted to cover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head, said inner longitudinal wall being formed at its intermediate portion with an air vent aperture.

6. A guard for a claw hammer comprising a single resilient and stretchable hollow body adapted to closely vreceive and conformably fit over the striking portion of a claw hammer head, said body comprising an outer longitudinal wall, a pair of side walls, an inner longitudinal wall, and a substantially circular end walls, whereby the body is substantially closed at one end, the inner longitudinal wall being arcuately curved substantially through an angle of 90 to fit between the shank portion and striking head portion of a hammer head, the outer longitudinal wall being of sufficient length to completely cover the outer end surface of a claw hammer head except for the claws thereof, both of said side walls having substantially diagonally extending continuous end edges extending from the end edge of the outer longitudinal wall to the end edge of the inner longitudinal wall, said side walls being adapted tocover major portions of both side surfaces of the hammer head, and a plurality of longitudinally extending spacer ribs integrally formed on the interior surface of said hollow body.

Wilson May 9, 1961 Tucker Dec. 11, 1962 

1. A GUARD FOR A CLAW HAMMER HEAD COMPRISING A SINGLE RESILIENT AND STRETCHABLE HOLLOW BODY ADAPTED TO CLOSELY RECEIVE AND TO CONFORMABLY FIT OVER THE STRIKING PORTION OF A CLAW HAMMER HEAD, SAID BODY COMPRISING AN OUTER LONGITUDINAL WALL, A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS, AN INNER LONGITUDINAL WALL, AND AN END WALL, WHEREBY THE BODY IS CLOSED AT ONE END, THE INNER LONGITUDINAL WALL BEING ARCUATELY CURVED TO FIT BETWEEN THE SHANK PORTION AND STRIKING HEAD PORTION OF A HAMMER HEAD, THE OUTER LONGITUDINAL WALL BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO COMPLETELY COVER THE OUTER END SURFACE OF A CLAW HAMMER HEAD EXCEPT FOR THE CLAWS THEREOF, AND BOTH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY DIAGONALLY EXTENDING CONTINUOUS END EDGES EXTENDING FROM THE END EDGE OF THE OUTER LONGITUDINAL WALL TO THE END EDGE OF THE INNER LONGITUDINAL WALL, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING ADAPTED TO COVER MAJOR PORTIONS OF BOTH SIDE SURFACES OF THE HAMMER HEAD. 